I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u Philosophy and introspection? Sounds like what a wise old guy long ago told me was more like, " Hi-ho fuckaround". But I get your point and appreciate your concern and support.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u I get your point and I am grateful that I was lucky once, but based on my family genetics, I may live another 25 years or so, and I want to be lucky again, so to speak, rather than go it alone. My father was only widowed for the last six years of his life, after my mother died. He seemed to be ok with that, but my stretch looks to be a lot longer, and frankly, I feel emotionally unable to face that prospect of being alone for the rest of it. I will likely kill myself before being alone that long. These last five years have been tough enough emotionally... I hope you find the kind of woman you want and have the relationship with her you have been seeking..

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u Nope, I only need or want the woman to share at least some of my interests, and vice versa. My late wife and I shared most of the same interests, but by no means all. She had friends she would share some of her interests with that I didn't have and vice versa for me with my friends. I have never supported that whole joined-at-the-hip type of relationship, and that is not what my marriage was. And even if a country music-loving woman could go hear that music with other people instead of me, it would likely eventually become a source of conflict and resentment on her part, for me not going with her. I would rather avoid that whole prospect, since music is really big to me. My late wife would go to some concerts without me, of music she liked and I didn't, with friends of hers. But she was an unusually open-minded and tolerant person, who didn't grow up around here, where country music is so ingrained in the mainstream culture and social life. So most women who love country music would really resent you not sharing that with them and going with them to hear it. To them, it would be akin to refusing to visit their family with them. And I would gladly date someone who was moderately religious and tolerant enough to be ok with my being Agnostic, but practically speaking, based on my experience with online dating and my local dating pool, women who are strongly religious are very rarely willing to accept dating a man who isn't religious, no matter how open-minded and accepting he is of them. It just doesn't happen and it would rarely ever work out. And those strongly religious women have little incentive or need to be tolerant or open-minded about religious differences, when they have so many other men to choose from that match them on religion.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u Yes I would run away, because I promise you that the woman would insist on me going with her at least some of the time to country music concerts, and I would refuse to do it, so it would become a big conflict. Same with her almost surely wanting to play country music in the car or the house when I am with her. And I can't fucking stand hearing that kind of music whenever I have any choice in the matter. You may not realize that music is way more important to me than it is to you or even most people. It is my biggest passion in life. And I hate country music not only for the nasal singing voices as well as the twang in the instruments and voices, but also for the culture and values that most of the songs promote, regardless of what values or culture the woman herself might share with me. Most of them promote redneck culture as well as droning on and on about the superiority of rural life, which I find really boring and annoying, glorifying mindless drinking, bashing higher education and anything intellectual or politically liberal, etc., since I strongly disagree with those viewpoints. I just find the music offensive, not only for its style, but what it promotes, at least in my mind. It's like asking a black person to be comfortable with watching a movie promoting the Klan...

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@FvckY0u I have only a couple dealbreakers on my end, or, as you would say, fucks that I give, regarding dating. I won't date a woman who is a big country music fan, or a conservative, or a daily smoker. I think those are reasonable dealbreakers, and like everyone else, I want someone who is physically attractive, at least to me. But even tho those are my only big dealbreakers or expectations in dating, I have little success in my local dating pool, more because of the three dealbreakers that the vast majority (about 80%, I have found) of the women in it have. Namely, that men need to be religious, have kids, and drink moderately or more, so the man will fit in with the drinking habits of the woman and her friends. How is one supposed to find someone compatible going up against those three dealbreakers, no matter how open-minded and tolerant I am about those differences between the women and me?

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

The 62% stat sure seems correct to me, as I have tested my local dating pool on Match by making up a dummy female profile with similar traits to mine, and then doing a search on the site. I found that there were two to three men on the site for every woman on the site in my age group and local area....

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle I noticed from your profile that you live on the east coast, and I think that makes a ton of difference, socially and culturally. My Iowa farm-raised women, as most of them are, are much more conservative and traditional-minded about dating and meeting men. And are thus much less likely to feel comfortable with meeting men in the grocery store or live music concert and feel safe and comfortable about meeting and getting to know the man thru that and proceeding on from there.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

Castlepaloma comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Men are thing oriented Women are people oriented The rest is 95% luck.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Very broad generalizations, but there is some truth in it.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

The 62% stat sure seems correct to me, as I have tested my local dating pool on Match by making up a dummy female profile with similar traits to mine, and then doing a search on the site. I found that there were two to three men on the site for every woman on the site in my age group and local area....

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle Agreed, some times it truly does feel that way, like there's no way to win with the dating pool that is there in my area, and with most of the women that would be my type, choosing to either avoid online dating or not being willing to give men a chance who approach them in public. Maybe I'm being too stubborn, maybe not, but I am not willing to join a Christian church and fake it to meet single women, nor am I willing to volunteer, start working again, or join a bunch of groups just to seek out these women who are only comfortable meeting men thru friends, work, or church, and who are unwilling to use dating sites. There are probably not that many out there anyway, and it would likely end up being a lot of wasted time, doing things that I would not enjoy, just in the hope that I would be in the right place at the right time when the right woman just happened to show up there. And even then, I would have to make the first move, in my local social environment, and then risk getting shot down in front of others. Frankly, all of that kind of stuff has made me very unsympathetic to women who refuse to join dating sites and yet, at the same time, they bitch about how they can't meet any good men or the right kind of men thru their organic networks for dating. They have no idea how good they have it compared to what men like me must go thru in trying to meet someone compatible, esp. since in my local area, men are expected to make the first move all the time, whether on dating sites or in public. Who wants to make all that effort for so little chance of success?

Just a thought, Bernie Madoff defrauded an estimated 65 billion from clients who he told would make ...

BDair comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Madoff swindled the other white collar criminals, and they did not like that.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Austin-Cambridge Thanks.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

The 62% stat sure seems correct to me, as I have tested my local dating pool on Match by making up a dummy female profile with similar traits to mine, and then doing a search on the site. I found that there were two to three men on the site for every woman on the site in my age group and local area....

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle Thanks, but no thanks. I don't cook and am not going to go trolling for single women at grocery stores, like in some TV sitcom. I really doubt it would work in my area, since even when I used to approach women at live music concerts, in bars, parks, or wineries where the bands would play, chat them up, and even give them my card with my contact info, nobody would ever offer to give me their number or call me back, because, as some of the women would admit later when I ran into them again, that they just aren't that comfortable with meeting men in public like that who are strangers, and then contacting them by phone or the men calling them, to go from there. These were all women who said they were single, BTW, but they also would say they aren't willing to use dating sites. Women from bigger cities or outside the Midwest are probably more comfortable with meeting men at music events like that, but that does me no good with the women here who are more traditional and conservative about that stuff. So how the hell are they supposed to meet single men? Well, they seemed to be saying they were pretty much willing to leave it up to fate and either meeting men thru friends, church, or work. So that eliminates me from the networks they meet single men thru. No wonder I can't find anyone compatible from Match, because the women who seem to be my type, from liking the same music as me, are never going to end up on a dating site and I am not part of any of their networks that they are comfortable meeting men from, such as Christian churches. As for approaching women at music events, which I won't do anymore, or meeting them at grocery stores, I don't enjoy public embarrassment, and if I'm going to get it, I would rather suffer it privately thru online dating sites than publicly get shot down.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Geez, the article was little more than a blurb. You're right, Druvious, this was embarrassing for something in a magazine.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Thanks for posting the full text of it, but I did read the whole article, and it still seemed more of a blurb than something of substance or depth.

I’m scratching my head on this one.

FvckY0u comments on Aug 18, 2022:

It often comes down to expectations, doesn't it? Perhaps it's the expectations that need to be changed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

@Apunzelle I think the points you make in your comment are very sound, regarding both unrealistic expectations and non-negotiables, which I call dealbreakers, as well as preferences, which include age, distance, and looks.

Just a thought, Bernie Madoff defrauded an estimated 65 billion from clients who he told would make ...

BDair comments on Aug 18, 2022:

Madoff swindled the other white collar criminals, and they did not like that.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Yup, his sin was swindling other rich people instead of poor people, and the former is intolerable to the ruling class, so he got the book thrown at him, while fleecing poor people is customary with capitalism, so there is usually no penalty or punishment for it. So this double standard would suggest that Trump is also very unlikely to ever see prison for his crimes of fleecing his gullible followers.

Now that we are approaching the possible demise of Agnostic.

Theresa_N comments on Aug 18, 2022:

I say all of us of a progressive bent and agnostic or atheist set another place to congregate, hopefully advertisement free. I won't sign up for facebook unless I absolutely have to.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

There is already a FB group for people from here, but it is run by a woman who was banned from here and she is a power-mad dictator. So I would appreciate an alternative to her group on FB. She already banned me from her group, with no notification or explanation to me on her part.

Some of the best news in almost six years has come out in the last couple of weeks. 🙂

rainmanjr comments on Aug 17, 2022:

Forward Party might be the answer for Liz-type Cons and Dems who want new ideas. Hopefully that's a sizeable enough population to make The Party Of Death lose, consistently, until they die off (ultimately). Choke the beast.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 18, 2022:

Not sure I trust Yang enough to vote that way. Seems way too centrist for me.

Now that we are approaching the possible demise of Agnostic.

WilliamCharles comments on Aug 17, 2022:

I was promised a Thousand Year Reich!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 17, 2022:

I believe Trump was under the same delusion, that he would rule the US for a thousand years...

Another story is about someone who I had met a few years ago on a dating app.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 16, 2022:

I wouldn't count on it. Once people leave this site, it's usually for good, since they realize that local dating options don't exist, and they usually come here, at least initially, for dating. If they don't decide to stay, after that, for the community, they aren't coming back. I suggest you stick ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 17, 2022:

@Rickulous Sounds like a plan. If she made level 8, she clearly stayed for a while and participated a lot, but if she's been gone for over a year, I would still doubt she will return. Because for some time now, the site has no longer been sending out e-mails to members notifying them of someone messaging them. So unless she decides on her own to visit the site again, she will never see your message to her.

Lost password

TheMiddleWay comments on Aug 15, 2022:

Admin, like Elvis, has left the building. Don't get attached to this site because once Admin fails to pay the bills, the lights will be turned off with no warning nor acknowledgment for the time and dedication WE"VE put into this site. Though this is nothing new in social media: As it has ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 17, 2022:

Won't miss you, but you're already blocked for me, except for here and General Forum. The admin. owes you nothing, since the site was always free of charge and we have been mooching off his dime all the way. When the site goes poof, I won't be surprised and have already collected phone numbers of a few members to stay in touch with them after it goes away.

Former Trump Press Secretary’s Sister Launching Dating App for MAGAs Former Trump Press ...

glennlab comments on Aug 15, 2022:

If it's invite only, where are they going to find their singles, unless it's like Sugar Daddies. Where the ladies are pros and the men are whatever as long as they can foot the bill.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 17, 2022:

Probably better to just visit prostitutes, saves time and probably cheaper...

Online dating app story.

MsHoliday comments on Aug 15, 2022:

So, did you out him?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 16, 2022:

What about outing her, for the dishonest game player she is? You appear to act like only men behave badly in the dating game and deserve to be "outed" for such behavior. What about the woman in ? that the OP mentioned? Seems more than a bit hypocritical and discriminatory to me...

Online dating app story.

MsHoliday comments on Aug 15, 2022:

So, did you out him?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 16, 2022:

@Rickulous Sounds like the two of them might deserve each other...

Former Trump Press Secretary’s Sister Launching Dating App for MAGAs Former Trump Press ...

mcgeo52 comments on Aug 15, 2022:

Good to know about this resource should I ever decide to date outside my species.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 15, 2022:

Sorry to tell her, I only date humans.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 14, 2022:

I don’t believe it’s appropriate or honorable to terminate anyone from a group just because they have the power to do so, especially if their participation in the group was not cited as a justification.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

@p-nullifidian He says he was unable to read your comment you posted here today, so, after seeing your reply to me, I must assume that he blocked you.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 14, 2022:

I don’t believe it’s appropriate or honorable to terminate anyone from a group just because they have the power to do so, especially if their participation in the group was not cited as a justification.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

Apparently there is a block between you and Garban, so he was not able to read your comment agreeing with me here. I'm curious if you blocked him or he blocked you. You may answer me here or in a PM.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

Garban comments on Jun 4, 2022:

Is the purpose of your post reconciliation or sympathy?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

@Garban I think you should mind your own business regarding the health of others that are not your friend or soliciting your opinions on their health. As for the other guy I mentioned who commented here today on this thread, his name is p-nullifidian. and he agreed with me, saying he didn't think it was appropriate or honorable to terminate someone from a group just because the mod has the power to do so, esp. if their participation in the group was not cited as a justification for terminating them. Just because you don't like hearing what I have to say, does not make me unhealthy in any way. You have a pretty closed mind on some stuff, Garban. Either block me or keep your opinions on me to yourself, unless you just enjoy being a trolling asshole.. Maybe the other guy blocked you for good reason, as you were possibly trolling him while pretending to be a nice guy.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

Garban comments on Jun 4, 2022:

Is the purpose of your post reconciliation or sympathy?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

@Garban It's two months old, but the other guy commented today. You gonna tell him to move on too? I'll do what I want, dwell or not dwell. What do you care, since your whole attitude is, "Shit happens, why care?". I wouldn't say I feel victimized, just pissed off that to this day, the group mods have absolute power to do whatever they want regarding their groups. I hate abuses of power, and continue to get pissed about it, whether it's here at this site or in DC with our well-paid whores in congress. You either continue to care about fairness or you don't, Garban. And you appear to have taken the jaded view that none of it matters anymore, so you may as well be consistent about it and not post any comments about corruption or unfairness in politics, since in your mindset, none of it matters, just par for the course, and inevitable, unpreventable, so why care or comment? You're not my fucking partner or my therapist, so I don't need your advice on what's healthy, nor do I care. I don't give a damn one way or another if you talk to Paula about it. It's also interesting that you don't address any of my arguments about your hypocrisy concerning unfairness.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

Garban comments on Jun 4, 2022:

Is the purpose of your post reconciliation or sympathy?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

@Garban So if someone screws you over, can we expect that you'll just quietly suck it up and never take any action or speak up to assert your rights? I doubt it. I bet if you ever got screwed over, or had someone steal from you, you'd be contacting the cops immediately or maybe seeking a lawyer to sue them, rather than telling yourself, " There's a lot of unfair going on, etc.". I know the situations may not always be equivalent, but the principle still stands. You seeking action against someone, or standing up for your rights, would then make you a hypocrite, based on what you said in this discussion.

Hippie Chick, who is the moderator of the Trump Pinata group, got into an argument with me a couple ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 14, 2022:

I don’t believe it’s appropriate or honorable to terminate anyone from a group just because they have the power to do so, especially if their participation in the group was not cited as a justification.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 14, 2022:

Thank you! Finally, someone else is ready to admit that doing so is petty and an abuse of their power. And for the record, her blocking of me was for an argument that was in a forum outside of that group and it had nothing to do with my participation in the group, as the group's discussions were all about politics, a topic on which she and I always agreed. The fact is, she couldn't stand the idea of letting me participate any longer in her group after she had personally blocked me on this site. Maybe the admin. should have considered that before giving moderators the power to terminate anyone from their groups for any reason, since not everybody is honorable or ethical enough to not abuse the power given to them. Instead, and more likely, by that time the admin. had decided he wanted out of having to moderate so much of the site and was merely glad to hand off the responsibility to the group mods, regardless of how they handled their duties. At least you have the guts to take a stand when you see something unfair happen on this site. The vast majority here are either too scared of conflict or flack from other members or else so cynical and jaded that they merely roll their eyes and say, " Well, shit happens and the world is unfair, so I'm content to passively observe it and approve of it by staying neutral on it", like Garban below here. I see that as a cop-out, not taking a stand is tacitly approving and supporting unfairness and people abusing their power.

Is a dress code banning "Satanism" a form of religious discrimination? - YouTube

KKGator comments on Aug 13, 2022:

Most of these school boards aren't populated with intelligent people.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 13, 2022:

Ideally, school boards should be an equal mix of parents and people who are either current teachers or retired teachers, so that way you get a balance of both people with kids who are outside the school system and people who have been inside the school system.

Here is an interesting question (probably asked by an American person) and a few Brits responded.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 11, 2022:

I wish the US was much more like the UK in these ways. It sounds so much more sensible and civilized.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 11, 2022:

@Ryo1 Well, we can always hope, but I won't count on it.

Who was it, Donald. Hilarious ad by Lincoln Project!!!!!! [youtube.com]

Beowulfsfriend comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The only thing they got wrong....... "Your father would be ashamed." That cretin would have only been ashamed that Donny got caught.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 11, 2022:

That is true of all Repubs, the only shame they ever feel is about getting caught at their misdeeds and crimes. That is why Nixon was treated as a disgrace and erased from the memory of the GOP, not for what he did, but because he got caught and was punished by having to resign. If Nixon had gotten away with everything, he would still be celebrated and treated as a hero in the GOP.

I went on a date with a Christian.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 9, 2022:

For those of you keeping score at home, SeaGreenEyes got tired of picking on me, and leaving Sofabeast curiously unaddressed, in our long argument. She never answered any of my ?s to her about what her own dating preferences or dealbreakers might be, if she were still interested in being in the ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 11, 2022:

@Ryo1 So easy to say, when you're not the one getting trolled. I'll give it more weight when it comes from someone willing to stand up for me. Seems like nowadays nobody has the guts to do that on here.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 I'm done feeding the troll.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@BitFlipper Depends, if this were some kind of caring and supportive community, it would be helpful, but this group, as a whole, is anything but that. Hence, that is why we no longer see open, honest sharing on it from the members. Everything shared about dating has to either be all positive, sunny, etc. or else funny and silly, because anything else simply won't be accepted or supported by the community that is still left here. So much for community and connection. It's like living in my critical, toxic family that I grew up with. The idea of this still being a healthy, caring or connected community is a sick joke.. So before the OP tells me to leave, I'll just say that I won't, because I don't want to give you the satisfaction of it. And there are no grounds you can get me banned on, even if the admin. were still around and wanting to get involved in that sort of thing.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@BitFlipper Thank you, Dave, for admitting what I have been saying. I have been sharing those kinds of things here and you can see how I have been bashed for it, mainly by women, because they simply don't want to admit that kind of behavior happens with their fellow members of the sisterhood, so to speak. And then besides them, we get male assholes like this guy, who simply enjoy feeling superior to other guys and putting them down too, just for the fun of it, I suppose.

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 FU, no translation needed, in English.... Nobody is taking a side with either of us, so you may as well drop it, you're not impressing me or anybody else here.

Simmering Threats of Violence Dominate GOP Circles Over FBI Mar-a-Lago ‘Raid’ Right-wing ...

Redheadedgammy comments on Aug 10, 2022:

These fools may try to organize here and there, then the police and Feds will move in and arrest them all for sedition. These Rambo morons are so delusional!!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

I wish you were right, but I have little confidence the feds and cops, esp. the cops, will actually end up doing that. There are too many sympathizers, or even MAGA members, in those two groups.

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 Boring, try not repeating yourself..

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 Give it a rest, you sarcastic asshole.

Been on this site for several years.

BitFlipper comments on Aug 10, 2022:

The members of this site are two widely dispersed to actually meet each other. I'm here for the conversation, and some of that conversation is about dating.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

Do you agree that the hostile and critical reception that people get here on the boards, esp. if they are men, and dare to share anything that is not humorous or silly, has ruined honest and open discussion about dating here?

Been on this site for several years.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 10, 2022:

I will comment anyway, and if you don't like it, you can shove it. I assume you are talking about me, as well as other men, and you are one arrogant ass to judge me without knowing me at all, as you say. My late wife obviously didn't think I was an asshole and neither do my longtime friends. They ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@creative51 I won't, but you can look this up from The Simpsons......" Get bent"...

I went on a date with a Christian.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 9, 2022:

BTW, you ended up with a duplicate post. Might want to delete one of them.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 10, 2022:

@Sofabeast It's the site's system, it happens a lot, by accident. The person posting it is the only one who can remove the duplicate post, because the admin, had been gone for a long time, and they won't remove them, so the poster needs to clean up the mess, so to speak, these days.

A NC high school football coach is converting kids to Christianity

linxminx comments on Aug 9, 2022:

I started teaching back in 1989, high school level. Every football coach I know and worked with led the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the team. Converting the football players to christianity has been happening for years, so this is nothing new, except maybe they are flaunting their ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

Not just high schools, but also colleges and publicly funded universities.

A NC high school football coach is converting kids to Christianity

GrooshStar comments on Aug 9, 2022:

And they call everybody else "groomers". They are the ones doing the grooming. I'm their own mind it's ok though, because it's for christianity.🤢🤮

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@GrooshStar No worries, I make embarrassing typos all the time, both on this site and in messaging with people on Match.com and FB. That is why I do my best to go back over everything I write, even after I send or post it, and try to find and correct any typos. There always seem to be some, no matter how careful I am the first time I write them. Maybe I just try to type too fast, that's why I prefer face to face or voice communication.

A NC high school football coach is converting kids to Christianity

Sorcha comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Try that in the neighborhood where I teach. We have a huge Muslim population.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

Do many of them play American style football? Now that would be funny to watch him pull that bullshit there... If it was a soccer coach, he would be up the creek, since all the best players around there are probably Muslim kids. Unless, of course, he didn't care at all about winning. And some high school coaches don't....

‘Hamilton’ Team Protests After Church Production Adds Christian Themes

The-Krzyz comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Jeez, people: Write you own darn musical, if you have to, but don’t “cheapen our currency” with your propaganda. Sheer opportunism.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@Beowulfsfriend I get that, but even organizations doing parodies need to pay royalties and get permission to perform something like that. I know, because a local theater group here in Iowa did a musical parody of A Chorus Line, in which the writer and lyricist used songs from the former musical with new lyrics, satirizing the Iowa Democratic political caucuses in 2020. And the group couldn't even videotape it and put it on You Tube, without getting sued, because the rights holders wouldn't allow that. And they did have to pay royalties, even tho they only used some of the songs from the original.

And SeaGreenEyes just blocked me, after attacking me on a thread about dating and what issues, ...

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Sometimes it’s good to step back, and just breath for a little while. Come back after a few hours or days and ask yourself, “how could I have handled this better?”

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

Think what you like, I have no regrets... I am fine with it, if I wasn't, I might have blocked her, but I never did, so maybe it's more about her...

Any update on when activation emails will back online?

skado comments on Jul 25, 2022:

I don’t have “inside information” but I have been here since near the beginning, and it appears to me that this site has been, for most practical purposes, abandoned by its originator to run mostly on automatic. I don’t expect to see activation emails return. And I don’t know that they ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

True. I just come back, log onto the site and see what alerts are waiting for me.

‘Hamilton’ Team Protests After Church Production Adds Christian Themes

The-Krzyz comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Jeez, people: Write you own darn musical, if you have to, but don’t “cheapen our currency” with your propaganda. Sheer opportunism.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

Some might call it censorship or being overly-controlling, but I think the creator of a theater work deserves to have some control over how their work is performed, and if the changes made are drastic enough to defame the spirit and message of the work, then the creator, or whoever controls the rights to it, are justified in taking action against the violator by suing them or prohibiting performance of the work, under pain of lawsuit if they defy that order. You shouldn't be able to just pay a royalty fee, mangle up the copyrighted work any way you want to, and then perform it under the same name as the original work. Because doing so would be sort of like throwing all the civil law about defamation out the window.

A NC high school football coach is converting kids to Christianity

GrooshStar comments on Aug 9, 2022:

And they call everybody else "groomers". They are the ones doing the grooming. I'm their own mind it's ok though, because it's for christianity.🤢🤮

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

No shit. It's ok to be a pedophile coach, as long as you're part of their tribe and identify as a Christian, even if the label is just a front or pose. I think you meant to say, "I'm sure in their own mind.....".

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez And yet you say nothing about Sofabeast feeling the same way about country music and dating..... You level all the criticism at me and are too chickenshit or whatever, to take him on as well.... I don't judge, label, and attack you, just for feeling different about country music and my dating preferences, I just ask for the same treatment from you. Why don't you try dating a Trumper? Or someone who is a cop that is also a right winger and opposed to civil rights or colored people? Or are you too close-minded, by your standards, to be able to handle that?

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez I don't want to debate you either, and I won't, but you seem to want to debate me. You have the right to your opinion, but you have no right to tell me what to think about my music tastes. Music is very important to me, maybe not to you, but it's my life, not yours, and you are not the person who would have to live with hearing music you hate as part of the relationship deal or have to settle and try to make it work in a miserable situation. I notice how you never responded to my examples of other reasonable and common dealbreakers most people would have in the dating game, so instead you just resort to name-calling and labeling, calling me close-minded, etc., and implying I am a hypocrite. My friends all agree with me on this and most of them, unlike you, apparently, feel music is very important to them and they too would not date someone with very different tastes in music. And also, all of my longtime friends here in Iowa hate country music just as much as I do, even if that makes us outliers here. So quit hating on me and acting like I am some mentally ill freak. It's also interesting that the OP, sofabeast, has the same dealbreaker and hatred of the genre, regarding country music, yet you don't go attacking and labeling him.... Is it something personal you have with me, SGE, or is it you lack the guts to go after him too? As I have said before, the only three things I am not so open-minded about on dating, are country music, politics, and smoking. And the fact is there are plenty of people out there in the online dating game who are just as selective about who they will date regarding those three issues, if not a few or several other issues as well. So how dare you label me as so extreme when you are not out there in the game and with any recent knowledge of what is common and what is not regarding online dating and the existence of dealbreakers among singles? I am done with you now. I won't block you, because we do agree on politics and you do post some good stuff on that. But knock off the judgement and criticism of my dating choices, because you don't seem to have the guts to date anymore, much less post any of your recent experiences with dating here, unlike me, and open yourself to the judgement and criticism of others about it, so STFU! I've lived in Iowa my whole fucking life, where country music has always been omnipresent, and I've always hated it. I can't get away from it at karaoke shows here, so I am always being exposed to it over the last 30 years, even as you say it has changed, morphed, and it has always sucked, in my ears, in fact, it's been getting worse with the new things of bro country and the popularity of Toby Keith and all the other redneck, racist, and nationalistic country songs that spew the same ...

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez I think you are misinterpreting my position on country music. I am willing to date someone who simply likes country music, but not someone who only likes it or likes it way more than any other genre. Because someone with that kind of musical taste would not only want me to go with them to country music concerts, which I never would, they would also want to play country music in the home or car when with me, and I simply can't stand that genre. So it would never work, same as dating a conservative. Politics and music are just too important to me, so neither type of difference would work, dating a conservative or a country music lover. And I honestly don't think I am alone in feeling that way regarding music and politics as it concerns compatibility for dating or a relationship. I like several genres of music, and country is the only kind I just can't stand. In fact, I like about all other kinds, except maybe hard core rap. Opera and classical I can take or leave, and for those last two I would be fine going to a concert sometimes. Would you expect a liberal to date someone who watches Fox News all the time? Someone who is childless and not interested in kids to date someone who is very family-oriented and wants to visit their kids and grandkids with the guy a couple times a week? Someone who is a non-smoker to date a daily smoker? We all have some dealbreakers, and music just happens to be my biggest passion in life, so dating a country music lover would be unworkable. Now that I have clarified things some more, I am interested in your reply.

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@SeaGreenEyez Amazing that it wasn't an issue for either of you. I wish I could find someone so open-minded and tolerant among the Christian and Catholic women in my dating pool, tho of course, they would also have to be compatible on all the other stuff. A tough combination to find.

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@Sofabeast Trust me, the country music dealbreaker makes me way more undateable here than where you live. My state is in the middle of the heartland of America, where country music is king and the state fair, which starts this week, is dominated by country music for all the entertainment during the fair. The only part of the country where I would be more undateable is the South, where country music is about all the music at most nightclubs or bars, except for in the larger cities. The three dealbreakers, on the women's end of the matching, on which I am fairly open-minded and tolerant, for what little that is worth, are that they only want family men with kids (I am childfree by choice), guys who are religious, and men who drink moderately or more (I am a non-drinker).

I went on a date with a Christian.

Garban comments on Aug 9, 2022:

Don’t give up. Do you seriously think you’re going to find someone that agrees with everything you think? That’s called a pet; not a partner. You may make a great trustworthy partner or just a friend, through mutual respect for each other’s endearing foibles. Maybe! Good luck!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

I totally agree. I wish more women in my dating pool thought like you. They appear to be so damned demanding and picky, requiring the man to be completely like them in all respects, more like a male clone of them rather than a partner. I can honestly say I am not nearly that demanding, since I only have three dealbreakers on my end: No conservatives, no country music fans, and no daily smokers. Everything else has some wiggle room and flexibility on my part, which I think is way more reasonable and open-minded than most of the women I encounter in my online local dating pool.

Has anyone else's manual dexterity started to go?

BitFlipper comments on Aug 8, 2022:

Miraculously, I'm 69 and can still type almost as fast as people talk.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

My typing speed is still ok, using my laptop keyboard, but if I tried to use a smartphone and try to learn how to text with my thumbs, it would be a disaster. I am way too clumsy to type with my thumbs and the keys on a phone are way too small for me. So I'll stick to my laptop for internet and use the much larger keys. I need to either communicate using voice on a phone or on the laptop by typing. This is why I really have no motivation to get and use a smartphone. I would rather just use a tracphone and make voice phone calls when I'm away from home. And as far as using a smartphone to look up stuff away from home, like locations of stores or directions when going somewhere, I can look up that stuff before leaving the vast majority of the time or get directions from someone else. Which is very rare, unless I'm far from home and in a strange city.

I went on a date with a Christian.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 9, 2022:

All I can say is good luck. At least you have gotten farther than I have since being widowed.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@Buck I hear you, but I'm not willing to be that rigid or exclusionary..

I went on a date with a Christian.

Aaron70 comments on Aug 9, 2022:

I won’t even entertain a date with a believer, seems like a waste of time….🤨

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

I understand your skepticism, but I am willing to date a believer as long as they are otherwise compatible, open-minded in general, and only moderately religious. Part of that is me just being realistic, because in my local dating pool, there are so few single non-believers, esp. ones that line up with me on everything else and would want me, that rejecting all believers would gaurantee that I would remain alone.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 8, 2022:

One of the best things I ever heard a therapist say was that a real sign of emotional strength and security, and the sign of a mature adult, is getting to the point that you can listen to someone who is very different from you and doesn't really know you, tell you that they really hate you or don't ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

@FvckY0u I just know that I am more evolved than that, because even when it's some asshole that I could easily take and pound into the ground, I am never tempted to just move immediately into a physical fight to settle a dispute or conflict, unlike these assholes and overgrown children, even if the guy is calling me everything but a white man. Because I am mature enough to use my words and realize that nobody like that is worth choosing to fight rather than either talk or walk away.... In fact, I don't even need to argue with them, because I already know firmly in my mind, that I am smarter and better than them to begin with and don't even need to prove it to them.

"They even broke into my safe": Trump responds to search of his Mar-a-Lago home [cnn.com]

RussRAB comments on Aug 8, 2022:

No doubt the FBI had a search warrant and probable cause. https://youtu.be/rN9RculT4jU

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 9, 2022:

I even heard the judge that signed it was appointed by Trump. That had to really burn...

Brianna Grier’s Brain Shifted in Her Skull During Fatal Arrest, Expert Says

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 8, 2022:

Why does it seem like this never would have happened with a white suspect?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 8, 2022:

@glennlab Ding, ding! You got it.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Says No One Can Convince Her Jan 6th Rioters Weren’t Antifa US Rep.

anglophone comments on Aug 8, 2022:

If MTG says it, I know that what she says is a pure lie. Her promoting of fascism concerns me.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 8, 2022:

She is like what LBJ always said about Nixon, you can always tell they're lying because their lips are moving...

Marjorie Taylor Greene Says No One Can Convince Her Jan 6th Rioters Weren’t Antifa US Rep.

Redneckliberal comments on Aug 8, 2022:

STUPID CUNT.......NOT SORRY

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 8, 2022:

I have managed to never use the C-word about a woman in person, but in this case, with her being a public figure, I can't honestly say it's an innappropriate term.

Brianna Grier’s Brain Shifted in Her Skull During Fatal Arrest, Expert Says

glennlab comments on Aug 8, 2022:

How many breeches of protocol can you count. Not securing the vehicle, not belting in the prisoner to start.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 8, 2022:

@mcgeo52 Either that or have the lawsuits paid out of the police pension fund, that would shatter the blue wall pretty quick and get rid of the bad apples fast. Nothing motivates other cops to do the right thing and rat out a bad apple than protecting their own pension's future.

Biden's big win exposes GOP's nihilism: Republicans resort to lies to fight Inflation Reduction Act ...

DenoPenno comments on Aug 8, 2022:

Is anyone surprised?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 8, 2022:

Not me.

Michigan Town Votes to Defund Local Library Over LGBTQ Books Residents of Jamestown Township in ...

Redheadedgammy comments on Aug 7, 2022:

They simply want more morons in their town. No books, no learning. Problem solved.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 8, 2022:

Trying to bring everyone else down to their own moronic level. Their eventual endgame would be to make personal possession of certain banned books a crime, which would actually be an episode right out of the old TV show, The Twilight Zone. To be precise, it was, ironically called The Obsolete Man, in which a future totalitarian government banned possession of The Bible, among other books, and made it a crime punishable by death.

What have you learned in life?

Pralina1 comments on Aug 1, 2022:

I don’t know Glenn . Too much and too little . Recently , ( well , few months ago ), mr mouse appeared at oncology icu . Nurses freak out . One of my own , that I send up there that night bcz she is certified to infuse chemo and they were short on hands , texted me in panic mode . “ there ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 6, 2022:

I like to think of myself as the higher life form than mice or insects, so I honestly don't feel bad about killing one that I cannot get rid of. Make of that what you will, but I don't think it means I lack empathy, at least with humans, or that I am a bad person.

Got that right

glennlab comments on Aug 6, 2022:

Is that his lawyer speaking?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 6, 2022:

Very true, hard to say which is the lower life form, Alex Jones, or any lawyer that would represent him. Like the old joke, at least as far as slimeball defense lawyers, " What do you call a bus with 50 lawyers going off a cliff?"---- " A good start!"....

Republicans Cheer on Hungary’s Fascist Leader Orban at Dallas CPAC Conference Prime ...

Redheadedgammy comments on Aug 6, 2022:

This repub party has definitely lost any semblance of sanity! Inviting Orban to speak shows they have no morals or anything resembling humanity!!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 6, 2022:

And you know what? They don't give a fuck what you, me, or anybody else thinks regarding their lack of morals or humanity, in fact they are proud of it. As long as their tribe thinks likewise, that's all that matters to them.

Dick Cheney calls Donald Trump a 'coward' in new ad supporting daughter's reelection bid - ...

freedom41 comments on Aug 5, 2022:

Maybe, that will help other repubs to pull there head out of Trumps ass and do the right thing. Like put 45 in prison for the rest of his life.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 6, 2022:

I really doubt it.

Dick Cheney torches Trump in ad: 'He's a coward'

rainmanjr comments on Aug 5, 2022:

I'm happy Dick is saying as much but he's only trying to save his daughter's bid for POTUS (yes, she'll be running as a Party Leader either in 2024, 2028, or 2032). I'd rather he said it from a jail cell but we, in America, can't figure out who's a criminal once they hit the WH.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 5, 2022:

Once you make it in there, even as VP, you can count on a free pass once you're gone, as far as prison time. Altho in Cheney's case, as a war criminal, he has to be very careful about leaving America and risking arrest in Europe for his war crimes. The only thing former WH presidents or VPs need to fear is justice from foreign governments or international courts, which are still no problem if they stay here or travel carefully. Our government is too corrupt to punish it's former leaders, instead we believe in "moving forward", as Obummer said....

Dick Cheney torches Trump in ad: 'He's a coward'

Scott321 comments on Aug 5, 2022:

Bad…very bad timing. I happen to be reading Al Gore’s *The Assault on Reason* and he pulls no punches on Cheney/Bush.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 5, 2022:

@Scott321 I agree, Cheney is one of the most evil men to ever serve in any administration.

Dick Cheney torches Trump in ad: 'He's a coward'

DenoPenno comments on Aug 5, 2022:

All Gore's Assault on Reason. Here's another Gore project. In order to pollute you must have enough money to buy credits so you can pollute. Rich corporations and companies can then pollute all they want to while Al and his friends happily get rich.I'm sure they would take Haliburton's money too and...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 5, 2022:

You may very well be right about your predictions.

Lauren Boebert Claims Taking Away AR-15s Will Cause Americans to Eat Their Dogs Rep.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 3, 2022:

WTF does gun control have to do with people eating dogs? What a crazy bitch!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 5, 2022:

@johnnyrobish Yes, I saw that clip and loved it. He really does look like a fat pig..

Ron Johnson Suggests Putting Social Security, Medicare up for Cuts Every Year

rainmanjr comments on Aug 4, 2022:

I suggest putting Ron up for cuts every year. No joke.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 4, 2022:

@rainmanjr I still think you are more materialistic than maybe a lot of other Americans who could be competent leaders. Money is not everything to everybody, certainly not to me. As long as the job payed enough to afford living in DC and having a decent standard of living, I still think there are plenty of competent folks who would do it, esp. if they felt they were making a difference and helping. It's the same reason lots of people become teachers, social workers, etc. even if they could make more money in the private sector. I think you are just too cynical about it. The issue is how much money it takes to win a federal election and how to get it, not how much they are paid. I agree with the rest of your comment tho... I was poor most of my adult life, and that's a big part of why I never had kids. There are plenty of other people who have made that same decision, partly because they cared more about serving the public or helping people, than making enough money to afford kids. Including lots of teachers and nuns.

Ron Johnson Suggests Putting Social Security, Medicare up for Cuts Every Year

rainmanjr comments on Aug 4, 2022:

I suggest putting Ron up for cuts every year. No joke.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 4, 2022:

@rainmanjr I disagree with you on the pay issue for congress. Not everybody who is competent would refuse to run, look at Paul Wellstone and Bernie, for example. The obstacle to getting competent and uncorrupt people in congress is not people being too greedy to run if it paid lower, the problem is how much someone has to either be rich already or have sold their soul in advance to get or have enough money to run and win federal elections.

Ron Johnson Suggests Putting Social Security, Medicare up for Cuts Every Year

rainmanjr comments on Aug 4, 2022:

I suggest putting Ron up for cuts every year. No joke.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 4, 2022:

Yup, let's put the pay of congresscritters up for a vote every year, oh wait, we already do, and imagine that, it passes every time with an almost unanimous vote... to raise it...

Ron Johnson Suggests Putting Social Security, Medicare up for Cuts Every Year

freedom41 comments on Aug 4, 2022:

Rich morons like him, don't have a clue how the other half live.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 4, 2022:

They don't have a clue, and they don't want to know about it..

Kansas voters overwhelmingly say 'No' to stripping abortion rights from the state constitution | ...

Druvius comments on Aug 3, 2022:

Well, nice to see good news for a change.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 3, 2022:

@Druvius I know I'm not wrong. Both major parties are against us and instead on the side of the rich and corporations, so anyone with a brain can see that disagreements between those parties on issues the rich, ruling class and corporations really care about is all Kabuki theater, same as watching pro wrestling, but then again, a lot of Americans actually believe pro wrestling isn't just fake entertainment, and yet, they are still allowed to vote. It explains a lot of why things are as they are... If only those with triple digit IQs could vote....

Kansas voters overwhelmingly say 'No' to stripping abortion rights from the state constitution | ...

Druvius comments on Aug 3, 2022:

Well, nice to see good news for a change.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 3, 2022:

Need to enjoy it when we can, since it happens so seldom, at least for us socialists and progressives, with this country. Not surprising that about the only wins our side gets are on culture war issues or identity politics. I can't remember the last time we actually got a win on anything the ruling class or corporations actually cared about...

Kitty is focused on hunting through the screen door.

GreenAtheist comments on Aug 3, 2022:

Only a big bad lizard coulld harm a cat

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 3, 2022:

Trust me, they exist in PR. My brother's cat was dead proof of that...

Nick Anderson's Blurred Lines This cartoon was received in an e-mail with the following ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 3, 2022:

One more illustration of why we need to get the money out of politics. Overturn Citizens United!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 3, 2022:

@Flyingsaucesir Well, my man, I am nothing if not consistent, and honest to a fault....

Nick Anderson's Blurred Lines This cartoon was received in an e-mail with the following ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 3, 2022:

One more illustration of why we need to get the money out of politics. Overturn Citizens United!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 3, 2022:

You and I will be long dead before that ever happens, if ever. That problem has only gotten worse over my lifetime.

Lauren Boebert Claims Taking Away AR-15s Will Cause Americans to Eat Their Dogs Rep.

TomMcGiverin comments on Aug 3, 2022:

WTF does gun control have to do with people eating dogs? What a crazy bitch!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 3, 2022:

@racocn8 True, it's just about being a provocative asshole. I get that, and to me, it means ignoring them, when it's some far away national figure, and other times maybe even confronting them if it's up close and personal in your neck of the woods and you think that there are onlookers who might be positively influenced by seeing someone stand up to them and call out their lies. But even then, not if the risk of physical attack or later stalking is too great, or if they are armed.

[m.dailykos.com] Republicans revel in cruelty. It all makes sense now.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 2, 2022:

Are their constituents this daft? Are Republicans incapable of seeing this proctological ramrod from their favorite Senators against vets? It’s times like these that make me wish we had a draft. Perhaps if these assholes (who have the temerity to it call themselves senators) had sons and ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 3, 2022:

Trust me, having a draft would not be enough. Because back during the Vietnam War, the sons of senators and congressmen, as well as children of the rich, always managed to avoid the draft, with deferments of one type or another, or, in the case of George Bush, Jr., W., as he was known during his presidency, the politician would find a way to hide them out in the National Guard or some other sort of duty to avoid actually being sent to war. They always stayed stateside, safe and sound. And so, even if there were a draft today, the kids of rich or politically-connected people would never serve in a war zone or be in harm's way. The classic rock group, Creedence Clearwater Revival, even had a hit song about it back during the Vietnam War era, Fortunate Son, which I call The Ballad Of George W. ..... And yes, their constituents are daft, as they are easily fooled by politicians and don't see the hypocrisy by their leaders, as long as their leaders wrap themselves in the flag and say all the right "'patriotic" things.

I think in this case...

phxbillcee comments on Aug 2, 2022:

A group of cats pulling a sled? Not enough tuna in the world!

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 2, 2022:

Besides, poor kitties hate being out in the cold...

The United States is Narcissistic.

Organist1 comments on Aug 1, 2022:

32 years ago or so, my mother introduced me to a book called "The Culture of Narcissism". It fits perfectly.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

I read that book when it first came out and still have it on my bookshelf. I remember former prez Jimmy Carter talked about that book when it came out during his administration and praised it for its critique of America then, and all he got for it was being blasted and then getting clobbered by Reagan in the next election. Most Americans can't handle hearing hard truths, esp. about themselves and their country, even tho they know deep down that something has been very wrong for a long time.

With the mountain of evidence turned up by the J6 Committee, and the fact that DOJ is officially ...

Dhiltong comments on Jul 31, 2022:

If this country is stupid enough to re-elect that clown, I’m outa here. With my son and daughter in law being naturalized Australian citizens and grandson born there, for reasonable fee I’m in the club.....

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

Wish I had your kind of options.

We shall NOT. Piss off! Sanctimonious pricks.

racocn8 comments on Jul 31, 2022:

Owning SCOTUS, the Christian Nationalists will overreach with their typical clumsy bullying attitude. The kids and young adults will reject this in a final spasm of disaffection. SCOTUS's corruption will eventually be seen as one more coup attempt and all their bad judgments will be overturned, ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

20 years from now will be too late. We will already have a fascist dictatorship and elections will be only a memory. And by then I will also likely be dead, which may be a blessing, if it goes down as I currently see it.

Hot Mic Captures Matt Gaetz Assuring Roger Stone of Presidential Pardon The Washington Post ...

glennlab comments on Jul 31, 2022:

I hope that they all get to see what happens when there is no pardon available at this time

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

I hope so too, but I'm not holding my breath. Between the Dems reluctance to play hardball and punish any of the higher ups for the coup attempt, and the history of powerful, connected people never seeing prison for their crimes, I don't think any of Trump's crowd have need to be worried, even if he is not in power now to pardon them.

Is Religion Built In? Noam Chomsky [agnostic.com] .

SnowyOwl comments on Jul 31, 2022:

What do you mean by 'religion' and how does it relate to being 'built in' ? Asking for an annoying friend that is sick of your nit picking on other people's posts. Is Noam Chomsky a real person and isn't he a Communist? Does this make you a Pinko too? Asking for the same friend who is sick of ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

Who cares if he is socialist, communist or whatever, the issue is whether religion is built in or not? I couldn't care less about someone's political leanings as it might or might not regard issues like this. What is your problem, are you snarking with your comment, or do you really care that much about Chomsky's background? You don't appear to be a conservative..

My back is killing me...

Susieq comments on Aug 1, 2022:

I put a heating pad in the shed for the ferals in winter

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

That is really sweet and kind of you...

What have you learned in life?

Silver1wun comments on Jul 31, 2022:

Civilization, hence life, in varying degrees and ways, is comprised of competing, sometimes over-lapping protection and salvation rackets. They are called many things and those many names are the only substantial differences between each brand and what it promises. Promises promises are the ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

@Silver1wun Thanks, I may be undateable for my local dating pool, but at least I'm articulate, to some people..

What have you learned in life?

Sticks48 comments on Jul 31, 2022:

That you can't throw a potato chip far! That is it. I have learned nothing else.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

@Sticks48 Sounds wonderful. Well, that makes one of us that life is going swimmingly for. I have had a very long dry spell with the online dating and am about ready to give up hope on it.

Monday morning cuteness

glennlab comments on Aug 1, 2022:

Cat in the box?

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

They love feeling squeezed in, must be like the womb...

What have you learned in life?

Sticks48 comments on Jul 31, 2022:

That you can't throw a potato chip far! That is it. I have learned nothing else.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

Better a potato chip that a cow chip, lol! At our annual state fair, they still have a cow chip throwing contest.... To me, hater of country music and most country culture, that rates right up there with tractor pulls, for non-stop excitement.... and don't forget NASCAR, favorite fan sport of mouth breathers....

What have you learned in life?

Sticks48 comments on Jul 31, 2022:

That you can't throw a potato chip far! That is it. I have learned nothing else.

TomMcGiverin replies on Aug 1, 2022:

@Sticks48 Nuthin' but the truth. How is the music biz going these days?

What have you learned in life?

glennlab comments on Jul 31, 2022:

I've learned that being an optimist means that I will get disappointed often, I've also learned to not let little disappoints disillusion me and I'll still be happy.

TomMcGiverin replies on Jul 31, 2022:

I've learned that being a socialist, at least in the US, means that my side will almost always lose and constantly be discredited in the mass media and the political system, but it will also allow me to see truths and be able to make sense of things that other Americans are baffled and confused about. So I may usually be frustrated, but at the same time, I get the satisfaction of being better informed and more often right than most citizens about what's going on.... for what that's worth.... It also gives me a sense of moral and intellectual superiority, I suppose, because I truly want equality and fairness in all things, instead of just the bullshit identity politics and culture war stuff that most liberals will gladly settle for...

What have you learned in life?

Silver1wun comments on Jul 31, 2022:

Civilization, hence life, in varying degrees and ways, is comprised of competing, sometimes over-lapping protection and salvation rackets. They are called many things and those many names are the only substantial differences between each brand and what it promises. Promises promises are the ...

TomMcGiverin replies on Jul 31, 2022:

I learned that long ago, beware the protector. They are often self-serving, rather than truly interested in your welfare. In the end, we all need to be our own leaders and protectors, and think for ourselves, rather than blindly putting all our trust and faith in mortals who promise to take care of our interests. Because if things go bad, it will always be you who has to live with the consequences of your misplaced trust, not them....